Quote Originally Posted by quivira kid View Post
Yellow I see as a hopper color... I see a lot of hoppers around here that would be imitated best with yellow foam. I would tie bigger hopper imitations in yellow and tan, smaller sizes in tan and chartreuse.... and consider it matching the hatch. Black I have found particularly effective on certain bodies of water, and also find a lot of crickets in the same areas... so more of a match of a food source than something oddball. What I was refering to in my first post was how something "outside the box" for you is a "realistic match" for me, using the same or similar patterns. Now I also know you aren't tying to match hoppers, but golden stones most of the time too, which makes a big difference!

So if all of the flies were equally effective, would you rather use a fly that is more of a match to the natural, or one that is super easy to pick out?
Several years ago, on Tin Cup Creek, a Salt River tributary in SE Idaho, there was a hatch of those very yellow, almost chartreus hoppers. That is the only time I have seen any hopper that yellow. Most around here are part of the lighter browns, tans and milder yellows crowd. My standard FEB hopper / golden stone is tan, yellow, and some olive accents - that, and the size, is why it doubles so well for me.

I think bgreer hit the nail on the head with his comment "I do think that you can stack the deck in your favor by presenting a fly that's a close match for the real thing." But that doesn't mean that you have to be slavish and ignore other possibilities at times.

And occasional experiments can make fishing more interesting, especially, for me, if they knock down some prejudices and hallowed ( hollowed ) notions.

John

P.S. With the temps where they were yesterday, I might not have stayed with it as long as I did but for the experiment. That means I wouldn't have caught that steelhead. The reward is its own reward.